Fond du Lac council hears revaluation briefing as assessors prepare open-book meetings

The Fond du Lac City Council on April 23 heard a detailed presentation on a citywide property revaluation and the upcoming open-book and board of review process, and council members approved three routine resolutions and a land sale during the consent and action portions of the meeting.

City Manager Mr. Moore led the presentation and said the revaluation’s central purpose is accuracy and uniformity: “the real point of a revaluation is to make sure that assessed values reflect market values,” he told council members. He and city assessors described mailing 15,000 assessment notices this week and said residents should expect notice-driven questions starting as early as the coming Friday.

The revaluation matters because it changes assessed values used to allocate each property owner’s share of the tax levy while remaining revenue neutral for taxing jurisdictions. Moore showed a preliminary, revenue-neutral example in which a citywide tax rate would fall from about 0.024 to roughly 0.016 using the new assessed base, even though individual homeowners will see large percentage changes in their own assessed values.

Les, identified in the meeting as the city assessor, explained the numbers behind the update and the outreach plan. He said the city’s average assessed value increase is about 54% overall, with residential properties up roughly 67% on average and commercial properties up about 32%. "We put about 15,000 letters in the mail today," he said, and the assessor’s office doubled its staff for the open-book period to handle higher contact volumes.

Open-book and appeal process: Assessors said there are three contact windows. From notice receipt through May 11 the office will answer calls and schedule special appointments; in-person open-book conferences are scheduled May 12–16 at the City County Building; and the assessor’s office will continue phone, email, and appointment availability through the day before the board of review. The board of review meeting is scheduled for August 13; assessors said residents must file an objection with the city clerk at least 48 hours before that meeting or give notice of intent to appear and then file the objection during the first two hours of the board of review session.

Assessors described what to expect at open book: staff will review each property’s property record card (PRC)—including square footage, number of bedrooms, condition, outbuildings and lot size—and will show recent comparable sales that support the assessment. Follow-up letters to attendees will be mailed no later than July 13 listing whether an assessment was amended or unchanged. The assessor’s office stressed that at board of review hearings the burden of proof rests with the property owner and that both owner and assessor testify under oath.

Council questions focused on common public concerns. Several council members asked how assessments are made without interior inspections; Les said the office uses each property’s record card plus recent sales to build valuation models and that recent legal limitations have reduced interior-access rates for full-walkthrough revaluations. Moore reiterated that assessing staff monitor permit activity and public records so property information generally remains current.

Moore and assessors urged council members to direct constituents with questions to the assessor’s office. The assessor offered to provide business cards and pointed council members to the city’s online property-report tool, which allows residents to search property records and view the assessor’s data and sketches.

Votes at a glance: The meeting’s recorded formal votes were routine and unanimous. The consent agenda (claims dated 04/16/2025 and related items) passed on a motion by Mr. Mullen, second by Mr. Heisler, unanimous. Resolution 9174 (reappointment of Lisa Mick to the Advisory Park Board) was recommended by the city manager and passed on a motion by Mr. Zimmerman, second by Mr. Schisler, unanimous. Resolution 9175 (appointment of Misty Snyder to the Board of Appeals) was recommended by Mr. Moore and passed on a motion by Mr. Mullen, second by Miss Leering, unanimous. Resolution 9176 (authorize sale of land in West Industrial Park; buyer’s LLC changed name from TDI Machining LLC to Better Than Gold) was introduced by Community Development Director Miss Benson and passed on a motion by Mr. Schisler, second by Mr. Heisler, unanimous. The meeting adjourned on a motion by Mr. Zimmerman, second by Miss Learing, unanimous.

Why this matters: The reassessments will change every property owner’s share of the tax levy while not directly changing the total levy set by separate taxing authorities (city, school district, county, technical college). City officials expect increased public contacts and said they have expanded assessor staffing and scheduled multiple open-book dates to handle appeals and information requests.

What’s next: Assessment notices were mailed the week of April 21–25. Residents who want an in-person conference should seek appointments during May 12–16 or contact the assessor’s office for phone/email appointments earlier or later. If a resident wishes to pursue a formal appeal, they must file with the city clerk per the board of review instructions and meet the filing deadlines described above.

Sources: Presentation and exchanges at the April 23, 2025 Fond du Lac City Council meeting; statements attributed to City Manager Mr. Moore and the city assessor (Lehi) during the presentation.